Exploring the Balearic Islands on Emerald Sakara: A snippet

^{Written by Olivia Powling, Digital Communications & PR Manager at ROL Cruise} 

Earlier this month, my colleague Poppy and I were lucky enough to sail aboard Emerald Sakara for four nights of her nine-night Exploring the Balearic Islands with Ibiza itinerary. In this blog post, I thought I’d share a diary of our time onboard, with a bonus section on the five things that surprised me most about this luxury yacht. 

Emerald Sakara joined the Emerald Yacht Cruises fleet in 2023 as the sister ship to Emerald Azzurra. With a capacity of just 100 passengers, she is classified as a small yacht. One of the main benefits of her being so small is her ability to dock in the heart of lesser-known ports, meaning you’re only ever a few steps away from the action. To help you discover these lesser-known ports, Emerald Sakara has a fleet of ebikes, but more on that later!

Onboard, Emerald Sakara boasts a range of impressive amenities. Deck 2 is home to Elements Spa, which features two treatment rooms, a hairdresser's, an infrared sauna and the fitness centre. At the aft is the Marina Platform, which offers direct access to the water, with watersports equipment such as paddleboards and snorkelling gear. 

Deck 3 is Emerald Sakara’s hub. Here, you’ll find the Amici Bar & Lounge (the heart of the entertainment onboard), the reception, the boutique, and the main restaurant, La Cucina, which also features a lovely al fresco terrace. 

On the next deck is the Observation Lounge and Observation Terrace. The Observation Lounge has comfortable seating, a small library, tea and coffee-making facilities and plenty of board games. Deck 5 is where you’ll find the Navigation Bridge, which operates an open bridge policy. Again, more on that later! 

Deck 6 features the Aqua Café, which serves delicious food during the day, and the Aqua Pool, a saltwater infinity pool perfectly positioned at the aft of the ship. Comfortable day beds and sun loungers surround the pool. On the top deck is a whirlpool spa and the Sky Bar. 

The Exploring the Balearic Islands with Ibiza itinerary is a nine-night voyage that starts and ends in Barcelona, Spain. Hugging the coastline along the way, Emerald Sakara sails to Port-Vendres in France, Palamós in Spain, Mahón in Menorca, Palma de Mallorca in Mallorca, and then Ibiza and Castellón de la Plana in Spain. 

Poppy and I embarked in Barcelona and disembarked in Palma de Mallorca, meaning we had four nights onboard.

Port-Vendres, our first port of call, came into view as we sat on our balcony, sipping an espresso. The commune is located in the Pyrénées-Orientales area of southeastern France, and is known for its beautiful natural harbour, which we were lucky enough to dock in. 

After a delicious buffet breakfast in La Cucina, we headed to Amici Lounge to meet the rest of our group, ready for our first ‘DiscoverMORE’ excursion. Emerald’s DiscoverMORE programme is designed to bring guests closer to the heart of local life, and our panoramic drive along the Côte Vermeille, with time spent in Banyuls-sur-Mer, certainly did just that. 

Back in Port-Vendres, we spent some time wandering around the harbour before hopping on Les Petits Trains Touristiques to Collioure in the next cove along. Collioure is another lovely little commune with a bustling atmosphere. Once we’d explored all the side streets and shops the town had to offer, we got back on the train for a scenic drive through the region's wineries. As the train chugged along and we climbed higher and higher, we witnessed breathtaking panoramic views across land and sea. 

Back on board, we headed straight to the Sky Bar for some expertly made cocktails, followed by dinner. Our first full day ended in the lounge, being serenaded by a local French opera singer. Perfect! 

Our next port of call was Palamós, a town and municipality in Spain, famed for its active harbour and waterfront promenade. We were lucky enough to explore the waterfront promenade on two wheels as we’d hired the ebikes for the morning. We asked ChatGPT to create a route for us, which we loosely followed. Although I was a little nervous to begin with, I thoroughly enjoyed using the ebikes as they offered a totally different way to see the town. 

After cycling for around two and a half hours, we’d worked up quite the appetite, so we headed back on board for a leisurely lunch at La Cucina. The restaurant always impressed with its generous spread of hot cooked meals, side dishes and desserts. Today, I opted for a tasty pasta salad. 

Each night, Moises, the Shore Excursions Manager, hosted a short port talk about the next day’s destination.  His talk about Palamós had inspired me to see as much of the town as possible, so while the rest of the group chose to relax on board, I set off on a walk to explore. What I hadn’t realised was that I’d ventured out during siesta, which meant most of the shops were closed. But it didn’t matter, I still had a lovely time wandering around and taking in the Cataloninan architecture. 

Back on board, I headed straight to Aldo at the Sky Bar for a frozen cocktail. Palamós was windy but warm, and after my walk, a refreshing drink was needed. I met up with the group, ready to enjoy our penultimate night together, which involved a delicious dinner and a competitive quiz! 

As the sun rose over our final full day onboard, we grabbed our swimmies and ran to the pool for a morning dip. Taking in the views from the aft of Emerald Sakara as we sailed into the beautiful port of Mahón was so special. Menorca’s second-largest city was about to become my favourite port of the itinerary. 

But before we could disembark and explore, we had several behind-the-scenes tours to enjoy. Staff Captain Aleks began by showing us Emerald Sakara’s garage, which houses two tender boats, two Zodiacs, several paddleboards, kayaks, mountain bikes and Seabobs. He then led us round to the Marina Platform, which is one of the ship’s most unique features. The platform unfolds from the stern, letting guests dive straight into the ocean or glide away on kayaks and paddleboards. It’s good to bear in mind that the Marina isn’t open on every sailing. It’s used only when the yacht anchors offshore, and even then, it depends on the weather, sea conditions and nearby traffic. 

Aleks then handed us over to Antun, Emerald Sakara’s Chief Engineer, for a tour of the engine room. The tour took us down into the working guts of the ship, where we saw the engines at work, learnt how the yacht maintains its cruising speed and heard about routine maintenance, fuel efficiency and how the team keeps things running smoothly at sea. The tour is available to all guests, and I’d highly recommend it. 

Afterwards, we spent a few hours exploring Mahón, which we learnt is great for shopping. Then, for our final sail away, we made our way to the top deck, where the entertainment director was on the mic and the most beautiful sunset painted itself across the sky. A very special way to end a very special trip. 

1. How quiet Emerald Sakara is: One of the first things that struck me was how incredibly quiet the ship was. With just 100 guests on board, I’d assumed a smaller ship might feel busier, but it was quite the opposite. There’s space to spare! We never queued for anything, and there was always a peaceful spot to unwind.
2. The variety of entertainment onboard: I hadn’t expected such a lively programme on a yacht of this size. During the day, there was always something to do - from French and Spanish classes to cooking demonstrations and cocktail-making masterclasses. At night, live music and competitive quizzes brought the ship to life. 
3. How close to the action we were: Another pleasant surprise was just how close Emerald Sakara could dock to the heart of each destination. We were only ever a few steps away from the action, which made exploring each port super easy. 
4. How genuine the crew were: When we embarked, Louise, the Cruise Director, greeted us with a smile, made us a coffee and sat down for a chat. That same warmth carried throughout the voyage. The waitstaff went out of their way to make every meal special, always attentive and eager to ensure we had everything we needed. 
5. The incredible choice of food: The final surprise was just how much variety there was when it came to dining. I particularly loved that the evening à la carte menu always included a local speciality inspired by the region we were visiting. One night, that meant trying octopus freshly caught off the shores of Menorca.